Systematic framework for the optimization and validation of a compact optical system using commercial off-the-shelf...

Area of Science:

• Optical Engineering
• Industrial Machine Vision

Background:

• Industrial applications often require high-performance optical systems within strict spatial limitations.
• Developing compact optical systems using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components presents unique design challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present and validate a systematic design framework for creating compact, high-performance optical systems from COTS components.
• To demonstrate the framework's efficacy through the development of a machine vision system for semiconductor probe card alignment.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Cooke triplet as the base architecture, known for aberration correction.
• Employed simulation-driven iterative optimization, incorporating additional COTS lenses to meet performance and size constraints (<50mm total track length).
• Conducted tolerance analysis for manufacturability and yield prediction, followed by prototype assembly and experimental validation.

Main Results:

• Developed a compact (<50mm) machine vision system for precision semiconductor probe card alignment.
• Experimental validation using metrological standards showed high correlation with system model predictions, including sensor effects.
• The prototype achieved demanding performance specifications within the spatial constraints.

Conclusions:

• The proposed systematic design framework is effective for developing high-performance, cost-effective optical systems for spatially constrained industrial environments.
• The methodology offers a robust and efficient pathway for creating specialized optical solutions.
• Validated predictive fidelity of the framework through empirical testing.